


Scarred and Scared

by AnotherShotofBourbon



Series: Soulmates [4]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: F/F, Soulmates, little wounds are shared between soulmate, vague modern au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-16
Updated: 2015-04-16
Packaged: 2018-03-23 04:50:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3755107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnotherShotofBourbon/pseuds/AnotherShotofBourbon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world where those little, mysterious cuts on your hands are mirrors of your soulmate's, Asami Sato has a whole bunch of bruises she can't explain. So she's always wearing sleeves, even in the oppressive Republic City Summer. That is until something makes her realize that her soulmate might be the reason for all her mysterious bruises and they might be a lot closer than she thinks.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Scarred and Scared

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt given to me by honey_hill  
> This was an interesting one to write, hope you enjoy.  
> Starring: painfully-oblivious Korra and Asami "she-probably-doesn't-like-me-as-much-as-i-like-her" Sato  
> The continued slightly related series of soulmate stories I have (the others being "The Colors I See" and "Time for You")

"Sami," Korra called from the couch. "It's like a million degrees. How are you wearing pants _and_ long sleeves?"

Summertime in Republic City hardly ever got above 80 degrees. And yet Asami Sato always seemed be wearing something with sleeves.

"It might feel like the world is melting to you oh princess from the frozen southern expanse. But to us natives, this is normal," Asami half explained. She didn't tell the whole truth that it is because of the numerous small cuts and bruises all up and down her arms.

Partially due to embarrassment at the flawed and gross looking collection of bruises in various stages of healing: dark, deep purples; gross, sickly yellow tinged with brown. Not to mention the numerous tiny cuts all up and down her hands. The cuts she knew where she'd gotten those. Tinkering inside engines was not an endeavour for those with soft hands.

"Besides, haven't you been listening to the media? I'm Asami "coldblooded" Sato. I need to stay warm some how," she said before noticing Korra's frown. Her friend was always so upset whenever Asami was in the news (because usually it was for something negative).

"Here," Asami put one of her naturally cold hands on Korra's neck.

"Oh that feels good," Korra shivered. "I should keep you to be my own personal icebox."

Asami laughed. "Who says icebox, ever?"

"It's not my fault I'm a furnace!"

"Well if you were less attractive I don't think you'd have this problem."

"Huh?"

"You know... If you were less hot... Get it? Oh I give up."

"Oooooh," Korra said as Asami's compliment (and flirtation) flew right over her head like a low flying bison. "So what's the plan for tonight?"

"Ugh, I've got some business crap to attend. Some fancy dinner thing."

"Can I come? Is there gonna be free food?" Korra's asked eagerly. Then she gasped, "Is there gonna be free booze?"

"No. Yes. And probably fancy wine."

Korra stuck her tongue out at Asami. "Why can't I go and drink fancy rich people wine? And eat all of their food?"

"Because you hate fancy wine, you love that gross hobo moonshine crap."

"Yes, yes I do," Korra said as she puffed out her chest proudly.

Asami rolled her eyes. "I'm going to be bored to tears, so just think of how impossibly bored you'd be."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Korra sighed in defeat. "It just sucks that you're going to be stuck at this fancy dinner all night when we could be hanging out, doing something more entertaining like watching hedges grow or sending anonymous love notes to Lin Beifong."

Asami snorted. "She'd kill you if she ever found out you sent her secret admirer letters."

"She did not figure out it was me!" Korra defended herself. "At first she thought it was Kya, then she suspected the air bender kids. I'm free and clear."

"You didn't."

"Did too."

"Ok, you're right that does sound a million times more fun than anything I'd be doing tonight."

Korra's eyes lit up as she turned to face her friend. "I've got a brilliant plan!"

"Oh shit," Asami said before sitting down. Usually Korra's "brilliant plans" wound up in emergency room visits (like the Korra versus Bolin rock bending luge run) or phone calls to the police (any of her plans that get hatched after midnight, like the time with the giant elephant koi).

"I go with you to your fancy dinner, eat all I can, being a perfect adult lady all the while, you get bored and finish everything you have to do, and I pull off my famous food poisoning impersonation and you make several quick apologies and rush me out before it gets messy, then we come back here drink some delicious hobo wine and send some anonymous love notes to Chief Beifong."

Asami raised her eyebrows in surprise. Her friend actually had a brilliant plan that would save her hours of boredom and probably wouldn't get anyone in jail or the hospital. And she's seen Korra's fake food poisoning routine, she usually breaks it out only for special occasions. It was a spot on impression.

"That... I can't believe I'm actually going to say this... is actually a brilliant plan."

"See? You're not the only genius in the room Sato!"

Asami smiled and slipped one of her icy hands down Korra's back. She jumped off the couch and yelped in surprise.

"Uncle! Uncle!" Korra yelled as Asami chased her around the couch with her cold hands of death.

"Ok," Asami surrendered the chase but that evil little smile didn't go away. "But I'm taking you to a formal function, so that means you'll have to get all dressed up."

"I'll dust off my suit and tie," Korra said warily, her eyes still on Asami's hands, those calloused and worn and nicked hands that felt like no blood brought warmth to them.

"Oh no no no," Asami grinned. "This is high society, and you'll be embarrassing me enough with your fake sickness routine. So you know what that means."

"Oh shit."

"I'm putting you in a dress."

Korra pouted and folded her alarms over her chest. "Then I won't go."

Asami gave her the best puppy dog eyes she could and batted her lashes at the woman before her. "You'll just leave me all alone with those stingy old men? Who will drink all their fancy wine?"

Korra continued to pout. She turned away from Asami. "No."

Then, like she was bribing a child, Asami gave her an incentive, "Fine you can wear your damn pants. But only if you let me buy you an actual pair that has no holes nor tears nor fraying. So whats it gonna be Korra? Borrow one of my dresses? Or do I take you shopping?"

Korra mused on her situation for a moment.

"What do you even have against dresses? Afraid of some old man looking up your skirt?"

"Well now I am."

"Just think about it, fancy high society, fancy wine, and Korra's not wearing any pants. Think of how hot you'll be in pants and a coat and a tie."

"Ok fine. I'll let you put me in a dress. But I'm gonna borrow that suitcase you call a purse and I'm stealing as many bottles of fancy wine and as much bread as I can shove in there."

Asami just rolled her eyes as she grabbed Korra's hand and led her to the bedroom, totally 100% platonically.

 

* * *

 

Almost three hours later, Korra and Asami were in Asami's car being driven to the fancy shindig.

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this," Korra said looking down at her impressive cleavage. Asami had found a plunging deep blue dress for her to wear. It was soft and beautiful against Korra's skin and it was flowing and it showed off way too much skin for Korra's liking. The thing had no back! And the neckline almost went down to her belly button! (But not really, it didn't even get past her sternum. However for someone so unused to dresses and showing off her assets, Korra was reacting like a Puritan)

"Relax Korra. You look almost good enough to eat."

"Why? Are you taking me to some secret cannibalistic cult? Is that how you got all your money? Human sacrifices once a year? And I thought we were friends Sato."

"No the human sacrifices for wealth and power come at the beginning of the year. And it is usually baby orphans. They taste so much better when they are young."

"Wow, I was joking but now I'm actually a little afraid."

"Spirits Korra you are so easy."

"I'm not easy! Ask Mako!"

"Yeah let's ask Mister Relationship for his input."

"Fair, but I'm not the kind of girl to just give it up to any old person who comes along."

"Oh please," Asami scoffed. "If I wanted to I could have you wrapped around my little finger, just drooling over me."

"That's be..." Korra trailed off trying to think of the right word. Weird? Maybe, sleeping with her best friend would be weird. Not nearly as weird as it would be if she slept with Bolin, that would be the weirdest. If she slept with Asami it would be... Cathartic? No... Awkward? Probably. It's Korra having sex, it is going to be super awkward with anyone. An adventure? It's Asami so, yeah it would be an adventure. "An adventure."

"Yeah it would!" Asami agreed.

"So why did it take such a long time for you to put on your make up? Usually you're a speed demon with that stuff."

Asami was in a strapless red dress that was long and elegant. She also had a black shawl thing that covered her shoulders.

"I had some... blemishes to cover up." (She was applying concealer to the numerous bruises on her arms, except for some of the more faded ones. There were a lot and the process took longer than she would have thought. She couldn’t go to a business function looking like she just walked out of Fight Club.)

"Stop the presses!" Korra shouted. "Asami ‘perfect’ Sato has flaws! The world never knew. Perhaps one day we shall find out if she isn’t in fact a goddess descended from the spirit world."

"That's only because unlike you I don't flaunt mine."

Korra stuck her tongue out at Asami.

"How did I ever become friends with you?" The woman in the red dressed as the one in the blue.

 

* * *

 

The answer was not so simple, nor was it short. Korra was traveling down the road one day on her great polar bear dog when she passed a Sato-mobile on the edge of the road, steam wafting from the engine.

Korra's inability to pass by someone who might need help (especially someone attractive) caused her to stop and ask, "Hey you need any help?"

A dark haired siren with astonishing green eyes and grease stained cheeks looked up at her, "Not unless you got a spare serpentine belt. I cracked mine in half, and I'm pretty sure I blew at least two tires in the controlled crash I found myself in."

"Uh..." Korra's mouth failed her. "I might be able to help with the flats?"

"Nah, it's fine. Even if I had two spares, which I don't, the car won't run without the belt so I'm stuck here until the tow truck gets here."

"How long until that happens?"

"Several hours at least," the pale woman frowned.

"That's a long time. I can have Naga here give you a lift some place."

Naga, sensing her cue walked over to Korra and gave her face a like. The woman looked nervous at being so near the giant polar bear dog.

"Oh don't be scared of Naga," Korra said as she scratched under her chin. "She's essentially a big softy."

Naga immediately rolled over onto her back so Korra could rub her tummy, which she did with much enthusiasm.

When Korra stopped Naga rolled back over and sniffed Asami once before licking her face.

"See? She likes you!" Korra beamed.

"Well I guess I could use a lift, and a shower."

"Where do you live?" Korra asked. "We can take you home."

"The Inner Ring Hotel in little Ba Sing Se."

"Ooh ritzy. So you're a traveler. Where's home?"

"Uh, that is where I'm living now. I just moved her but my place was infested with a hybrid race of Fire Nation super termites. So it was condemned. I'm living in the hotel till I can find a new place."

"Holy crap that sucks! How long have you been in the hotel?"

"Three months," she muttered.

"Spirits! Did you at least get to spend any time in your place before the infestation?"

"It was condemned the day I was set to move in."

"Wow, you've had a shit day, month, whatever," Korra said. "How about Naga and I take you back to my place, you can use my shower, change your clothes and I'll make you a home cooked meal."

"How do you know in not a serial killer looking to turn you into a very nice looking skin suit?"

"One,Naga likes you, and she has a very strict no serial killer policy. Two, I'm pretty sure I can take you, you're like a stick."

"Don't count me out just because of how I look."

"I won't. But I'd still win. I'm Korra by the way, I have a pretty unpronounceable last name to anyone not from one of the Water Tribes."

"Asami Sato," she said extending her hand.

Korra shook it and then used it to haul Asami on to Naga's back.

It took a moment for Asami to get into position in the saddle, behind Korra.

"I'd hold on if I were you," the tan one smiled.

"Hold on to what?"

"Let's go home Naga!"

The great beast took off and Asami was scrambling for something to hold on to. But there was nothing, the only choice was  hold on to Korra.

As quickly as possible Asami wrapped her arms around Korra's middle. Two things struck her at once: _abs_ , this girl is both literally and figuratively hot.

About twenty minutes later Naga stopped at Korra's small house just outside downtown Republic City. It had a fence and a yard for Naga and only one story.

"You can use my shower and I'll dig out something for you to borrow then make food," Korra announced. "Welcome to castle Korra."

"It's a good house. Is this how you seduce all the ladies? Rescue them on the side of the road and bring them home for home cooked meals?" Asami asked Korra. She was standing so very close to her, the words were leaving little imprints on the shorter girl's neck.

"Uh..." Korra said an involuntarily shuddered. "No."

Asami smiled wolfishly and said, "Why don't you show me to your shower? Got any aloe Vera by chance? I got a little too enthusiastic with my car and burned my hands."

Korra only nodded. Completely ignoring her own little burns on her hands that were not there earlier.

She spent several minutes looking for the burn heal, but then suddenly stopped and face palmed.

“I’m such an idiot,” she said. Asami just kind of nodded quietly. “I’m a waterbender. I can just heal your hands.”

“Uh,” Asami tried to protest as the frankly crazy woman grabbed her pale, burned hands in her warm, worn ones.

Korra bent some water around Asami’s hands. It was warm and felt so good to have this tan woman holding her hands literally taking the pain away.

“How’s that feel?” Korra asked quietly. They were standing so close together. Asami could lean forward a couple of inches and kiss her.

“Much better, thank you.” She leaned forward, closing half of the distance between them.

“Well I’ll let you get to that shower,” Korra said as she turned and left the bathroom in an instant.

“What the…” Asami breathed. She was so confused.

Twenty minutes later when Asami exited the shower, she found Korra in the little kitchen arguing with someone loudly on the phone.

“No! I told you! I’m not going through her stuff so you can run a background check on her!” Korra yelled. There was a pause and then Asami heard, “You don’t need to protect me all the damn time!”

Asami entered the room as Korra angrily hung up the phone.

“Something wrong?”

Korra turned and smiled at Asami. “Nope. Just my boyfriend being a complete ass.”

In one sentence Asami’s little concept of Korra completely shattered.

_So she really wasn’t flirting? She’s straight? (Laaaaame.) This is her just being nice? Thank the spirits I didn’t kiss her earlier. (Laaaaame.)_

She forced a smile and sat down at the kitchen table.

“Well the good news is that Mako, isn’t going to be bothering us at all tonight, and dinner is just about done,” Korra said.

“Trouble in paradise?”

“You can say that…”

_Don’t do it. Don’t be the Queen Bitch and break up this very nice **straight** girl with her boyfriend. (Spirits was that a disappointing sentence)_

Then with a great effort, Asami pushed back her crush, forced it to take a back seat to… whatever the hell this was. Friendship?

That was how the two of them met. Korra had become something of a staple in Asami’s life after that. She’d often just text Asami to open the door because she’s outside and bored and wants to do something (that is when she doesn’t just let herself in, which when Asami finally got herself a real place usually meant climbing in through a window).

Korra’s nagging that visiting Asami at the hotel was not cool and she really needed to get a place forced Asami to finally get a house. While Asami traded the favor and convinced Korra to end it with Mako.

It was less to do with jealousy (which was a part, don’t think it wasn’t) and more to do with Asami being unable and unwilling to put up with their passive-aggressive bullshit and constant bickering.

They finally broke up several weeks after Korra and Asami became friends, and then Korra went through the inevitable ‘I refuse to date anyone ever again’ stage for a couple of months.

By the time Korra came through that, Asami’s feelings of attraction towards Korra were firmly secure in the trunk and 'being best friends with her' was driving. She refused to stop that car and get those feelings out. Too much could go wrong. For the most part those feelings were quiet and didn’t draw too much attention, so it was fine, easily manageable.

That was two years ago.

 

* * *

 

“What are you staring at?” Asami asked.

Korra had zoned out looking at a small yellowing bruise on Asami’s elbow. “Oh nothing. It’s just I got a bruise in the exact same spot. I have no idea where it came from though. I was trying to think where it could have come from.”

Asami looked down and saw the patch of skin in question. “Oh, this is from a sato-cycle carburetor that was a bit closer than I was expecting it to be.”

“That happen to you a lot?”

“Nah, I mostly just cut my fingers.”

“Me too! But I always think that it’s just because I don’t drink enough water and my hands are dry.”

“One, you’re a damn waterbender, you should never be thirsty or dry. Two, why do you hate lotion?”

“It makes my hands feel all weird!”

“It is called not being dry and cracked and bleeding.”

“Is that what that is?” Korra asked sarcastically.

“Yeah, and we’re here.”

The fancy-schmancy dinner party was a frightfully dull affair. Even for Korra whose sole purpose there was to taste at least one of every kind of fancy snack and see how many bottles of wine she could steal.

While Asami was talking business with grumpy old men, Korra was making friends with some of the waitstaff who were just as bored/annoyed as she was. A few of them even promised to steal her a few bottles of the wine.

She thanked them just as her friend waved her over.

Korra walked over and caught that look on Asami’s face. It was the subtlest of looks, just an ever so slight widening of the eyes, totally unnoticed by everyone but Korra. To her, it might has well have been Asami waving semaphore flags spelling out “OH DEAR RAAVA SAVE ME”.

She held up one finger to make sure Asami saw her. It was time to get into character.

After grabbing an ice cube and rubbing it over her face, to give her that cold and clammy look while also making it look like she was sweating she tumbled over to Asami (which wasn’t hard because she had to wear heels and walking in them has always been difficult for her).

“You don’t look so good,” Asami said with genuine concern. Korra was selling the hell out of her fake food poisoning.

Korra closed her eyes, looked like she was forcing something down, before saying, “I don’t feel well. I think I ate something that disagreed with me.”

"Oh dear," Asami said playing the dutiful friend. "We should get you home."

Korra nodded, crossed her eyes briefly and bolted to the bathroom where horrible, much too loud retching sounds could be heard.

"Excuse me gentlemen," Asami said quickly, "I should get my friend home, or to a hospital."

Korra managed to exit the bathroom, looked at Asami and said, "Let's go before it decides to come out the other end."

Asami fought hard not to roll her eyes, and the waitstaff fought hard not to laugh aloud.

"I wouldn't have any of those crab things," Korra said to a particularly round old man as Asami escorted her out to the town car.

"Arturo, can you take us home please?" Asami asked her driver.

"Of course ma'am."

"How'd you think that went?" Korra asked after they pulled away.

"Overly dramatic. Really ‘we must leave before it comes out my other end’? That was gross."

"Did a single person question you leaving early?" Asami shook her head. "No one will ever question or stand in the way of explosive diarrhea."

"Well then I'm glad I'm not the one who had it."

"You're welcome!"

"Thank you Korra."

Back at Asami's house, Korra changed in record time, much to Asami's subconscious disappointment.

Arturo brought in the several bottles of wine that Korra had "liberated from the clutches of the capitalist pigs". And by the time Asami got out of her own dress, Korra had already opened a bottle.

She poured glasses for herself and Asami and then started dictating love letters to Lin Beifong. Asami tried to keep up, but she was getting very drunk, and even while sober her handwriting was "doctor-esque" so reading these in the morning would be... an adventure.

"Dearest Lin, you are the metal flower of my life. Nothing compares to your smile," Korra dictated loudly.

Asami laughed. "Are we even positive Lin has the facial muscles to smile?"

"Yeah, I saw it once."

"What was it like?"

"I don't even know how to describe it..."

"Like the second coming of Sozin's Comet?"

Korra upon hearing the name of the comet immediately jumped to the floor. (Sozin's Comet is the name of a game, usually played exclusively by teenage boys, where anytime someone says the name of the comet, any and all firebenders in the vicinity start throwing objects at the other people in the room. And since Korra hung out with Mako and Bolin growing up...)

On her way down there was a loud crack immediately followed by a cry of pain.

Asami practically leapt off the couch (except she was very drunk by this point in time so it was more like a barely coordinated sudden upward movement). She rounded the coffee table and bent down to examine Korra.

"Are you ok?" She asked, mind suddenly overcoming the limitations of her drunken state.

"I hit my knee on the coffee table," Korra moaned.

Instantly Asami's concern for Korra's well being fled her. Replacing it was hysterical laughter. She bit her lip in bad attempt to keep from laughing in Korra's face, but it didn't go so well.

"What are you snickering at?" Korra demanded.

"You're the only firebender in the room," Asami laughed.

"It's a reflex from spending so much time with Mako," Korra said as she rubbed her knee.

"Still it's really funny," Asami said as she collapsed on the ground next to Korra.

Blue eyes met green, one pair teary eyed with laughter.

The only sound that passed between them was the occasional giggle from Asami.

Korra opened her mouth to say something then closed it again. She didn't say anything.

"What?" Asami asked.

"Nothing. Just a bad idea I had."

"Well we're both a little drunk, so why don't we drink some more until it becomes a good idea?"

"I think that is the reason it's a bad idea. We're drunk."

Korra could read Asami like a book. They'd been such good friends for a couple of years now. Even drunk Korra could pick up on Asami's little expressions.

"I was wondering what it would be like to kiss you," Korra whispered so quietly it barely could have been said to have been spoken at all.

Asami went from drunk and giggly and full of puckish mirth, to something vaguely unreadable. She looked... Hungry? No that couldn't be right. She couldn't puzzle out that combination of hunger, excitement, was that frustration? And that little tiny frown, which usually meant Asami was kinda horny.

She opened her mouth to speak and the only thing that came out was a large burp, right in Korra's face. It smelled like red wine.

Asami descended into another fit of uncontrollable giggles. This time Korra joined her.

The moment had been thoroughly ruined.

"Well we have to finish this wine that we opened," Korra mused, finally sitting back up.

"Dispose of the evidence!" Asami yelled loudly.

"Looks like it will have to be me, since you're too drunk."

"Am not!" Asami yelled as she grabbed the bottle and drank straight from it.

Korra wrestled the bottle away from Asami, winding up (somehow) in her lap.

"Even though your fine ass is on top of me," Asami said, "this was lots of fun. Thank you for rescuing me Korra. You're a wonderful human and I love you."

"I love you too," Korra said. "But just don't tell Bolin that you usurped his position as best friend. He'd be hurt."

"No like that," Asami said as she shoved Korra off her.

"What?"

"I'm going to bed," Asami mumbled after a loud yawn. Her drunk was combining dangerously with tiredness.

"Wait, what did you mean by that?"

"Not like best friends. Night Korra."

"What?" She asked the ceiling from her position on the couch. But before she could even attempt to understand the question she was truly asking, Korra fell asleep.

 

* * *

 

 

Asami was awake and making coffee. She didn't worry about waking Korra, since previous evidence suggested that hungover Korra is an immovable object (even fire alarms were nothing to her).

Asami, through her own mild hangover (a slight headache that would be cured by water and caffeine, and some mental slowness), was staring at her knee. A purple bruise was forming there. But when she poked at it, it didn't hurt.

She remembered Korra's flop to the ground that resulted in her banging her knee, but Asami didn't remember hitting her own. Sympathy bruise? She wasn't hungover enough to have blacked out…

She was also trying to remember the exact wording from last night. Korra said something stupid, or wonderful. And she responded in kind. But she couldn't remember the exact wording.

That stupid passenger that she had tied up and locked away in the trunk had gotten out and taken control for a few drunken hours.

Asami had a feeling that it wasn't going back in that trunk easily, but right now it was comfortably minding its own business in the backseat.

Korra had said she wanted to know what it was like to kiss her, not she wanted to kiss her. Right? It was a key distinction in wording that Asami couldn't remember exactly.

Asami remembered her declaration of love, but knowing Korra she was probably just confused by the prospect and forgot the whole thing.

Still staring at the bruise on her knee she reached for the coffee pot and missed, touching the back of her hand to the hot metal.

"Ow! Fuck!" Asami cried as she recoiled. A dark red patch of skin forming already in the awkward crescent shape of the metal burner under the coffee pot.

She poured herself some of the caffeinated beverage before running her hand under cold water.

"You ok?" asked a sleepy imitation of a voice. Korra stood in the doorway with an epic bedhead that warmed Asami's insides. She looked so fucking adorable. Yup that little crush was out and riding shotgun.

Asami smiled. "Yeah I'm fine. I was a little careless and burned myself. But we have coffee now."

"Yay," Korra said flatly. She'd give Eska a run for her emotionless queen title.

Korra stomped over to the cabinet with the mugs and reached out for her favorite: a large novelty turtle-duck shaped one. As her hand brought down the mug Asami spied a small little red patch of irritated skin on the back of Korra's hand. It was in the same awkward crescent shape as the one on the back of Asami's that she sustained not moments before.

Something tugged at the tired cobwebs of Asami's brain. She couldn't quite recognize it for what it was. She just wasn't awake enough.

After consuming the pot of coffee and showers, Korra insisted that they went to brunch at the little cafe down the street.

"The best cure for a hangover is to never stop drinking," she'd said.

The mimosas and waffle bar did wonders for Asami's hangover. Still, it wasn't until she lay on her couch, alone, later that evening that her mind finally remembered what it wanted to several hours ago.

Her mothers voice, "These little cuts on your hands, those are cuts that your soulmate has too. Your soul felt their pain and mimicked it."

What?

Is that true? Is that actually a thing? Could it be true? It would certainly explain all those mysterious bruises. Korra practically lives in the ring, she's always training or getting into fights. It would also perfectly explain all of those little cuts and nicks all over Korra's hands, it's because Asami's earned them building things.

Wait, she needs a third party. Someone to tell her it is or isn't actually a thing and not just the crazy that seems to have permanently entrenched itself in the driver seat. It was back with a vengeance for being so thoroughly denied for so long.

It had a need, a need for Korra.

"Oh fuck."

 

* * *

 

 

"Opal, for the love of Raava, please tell me you've heard of this old wives' tale," Asami pleaded with the young airbender over coffee the next day.

"What the whole unexplainable cuts on your hands are from your soulmate thing?"

"Yes!"

"I mean I've heard it from my mom before," Opal said. "And some other adults, but no one has ever really been able to confirm it for me. But then again I never considered it to be more than an old wives' tale."

Asami ‘ugh’ed and hit her head on the table.

"Why do you suddenly care?"

"Because I remembered my mom saying it to me and I was wondering if it could be true."

"Ooh did you find someone new?"

"Someone old," Asami muttered into her latte. "You and Bolin experience any of that kind of stuff?"

She shook her head. "No, but I'm pretty careful and Bolin is Bolin. I think I would have noticed if I started mirroring his… numerous injuries."

"Would you do me a huge favor and find out what you can about this thing?" Asami asked, her eyes pleading. "I'll do the same, but I just want to make sure anything I find is double checked by a reliable source."

"Asami, don't get me wrong, I like you, I consider us friends, but we never really reached early morning phone calls and desperate pleads for favors friends. Why not ask Korra?"

"Have you seen Korra ever research anything? She gives up five minutes in. And like I said I need someone who can verify everything I find. I don't know if I trust my actions around her anymore."

"Oh my! You're in secret love with Korra!" Opal squealed. "This is so exciting! You two would be so cute together!"

Asami shushed Opal. "Please don't go spreading that around! I can't be in love with my best friend! Think about how that would go over! It would be a complete disaster! Sure I might have had a crush on her when we first met, but then she was in a relationship and I'm not a homewreaker, but then I did kinda convince Korra she needed to break up with Mako. Then she just needed a friend and not someone trying to get in her pants and our friendship overrode any romantical feelings I had but now they're back rearing their ugly heads. I need to know if this is something, could be something, before I do anything. The absolute last thing I want is to push Korra away. So please, just do me this one favor? I want to make sure I'm either meant to be with Korra or I need someone to check me into the sanitarium."

Opal just kind of stared wide eyed at Asami for a moment before nodding. "Holy shit. Yeah I'll help. I'll go to the library and do some book reading, you can do the internet stuff."

"Thank you thank you thank you," Asami said. "Can you come back to my place with whatever you find at like six? I'll order pizza and we can go over everything."

"I hope you have some good liquor too."

"I've got some super fancy stolen wine."

"Perfect."

 

* * *

 

 

Several hours later Opal entered Asami's apartment.

"I found a whole bunch of stuff," Opal said, sounding genuinely excited. "Apparently it is a thing. Every nation has some variation on the story. But there was nothing about the severity of the mimicking. What did you find?"

Asami was sitting on the couch staring out at nothing. "I never really got started," she admitted.

"What the hell?"

"Did you get Korra's snapchat?"

"All 17 of them? Yeah I saw it."

"So you saw the tattoo she got?" Asami asked.

"Yeah, I actually kinda like it."

"Me too," Asami said as she rolled up her sleeve. "I just liked it better on her."

There on Asami's pale flesh was a shadow or a tracing of Korra's waves and water tribe symbol she'd just gotten tattooed around her bicep. Asami had the exact same marking in the exact same spot.

"You're right," Opal breathed. "I like it better on her."

She sat down next to Asami who had gone silent.

"You didn't rush out and get this tattoo did you?" Opal asked desperate for some kind of explanation.

Asami shook her head.

"Ok, ok, so we know it's a thing. That means Korra and you are soulmates. Congratulations! What if this increase in severity is because he universe is telling you to just go for it already?"

“I don’t know what to do,” Asami said.

“I’m assuming that confession of undying love would be out of the question?”

Another nod.

“Get a matching tattoo that asks her out?”

“That sounds painful and unnecessary. Also permanent.”

“Right.”

“Uh, I need to go for a drive,” Asami said. Her hands were shaking, her stomach was cold. Driving always made her feel so much better. Helped her think, helped her clear her head. “Feel free to drink whatever you want. Eat whatever. Lock up if you leave. I just need to go.”

“Asami,” Opal called, but she was already out the door.

She drove through the city, drove through the night. She was gone for several hours and no answers came to her.

She couldn’t think of anything to do. The wind played with her hair as the neon signs and street lights fly by her. It was nights like this that she felt like it wasn’t her that was moving, it was the world. She was just watching it go.

She didn’t even notice that her phone had been ringing on and off for the last couple of hours.

That’s why she was surprised to see Korra sitting outside her door waiting for her.

“You didn’t call me back,” Korra said. “I was getting worried. Then you weren’t here and I got more worried.”

“Sorry,” Asami apologized. “I had some thinking to do.”

“Anything I can help you with?” Korra asked, standing up and moving towards Asami.

Just look at her, she’s beautiful.

“I, uh,” Asami stammered.

“Asami ‘Wordy’ Sato, suddenly speechless,” Korra joked, her face breaking into a wide smile. “It must be some problem if you can’t even say it out loud.”

“It’s… uh… damn it.” Korra called Asami her signature nickname. The one she came up with way back when Korra first learned who Asami really was, heiress and all. Back then she said, “Asami ‘Fucking’ Sato”. After all this time she still calls her Asami ‘Adjective’ Sato. And it makes her feel all excited inside.

“Hey, whatever it is,” Korra said, placing a reassuring hand on Asami’s forearm, “I’ll be here to talk, whenever you need it. Or if you need help hiding a body.”

Asami laughed. “Thanks Korra. You are wonderful.”

Korra smiled sheepishly. “Anything for a friend.”

Hazy, drunken memories from that conversation played in both their minds. Korra wondering what it would be like to kiss Asami. Asami saying that she loved Korra, but not in a best friends way.

And once again, Asami had that indecipherable look on her face, that Korra didn’t know what it meant. (hint: it meant Asami wanted her to kiss her)

In the orange glow of the street lights it was a beautiful and mysterious face that looked so alluring.

“Did you want an answer to your question?” Asami asked in little more than a whisper.

“Yeah, I think so.”

In a series of quick moves, Asami placed one hand on the back of Korra’s neck and pulled her those last few inches.

Their lips met.

Asami closed her eyes and leaned into it.

Never had she imagined something so soft and wonderful.

For a second she was happy, so incredibly happy.

Then the kiss was over. And she felt a deep, profound sadness, hard on its heels was panic.

“I’ve got to go,” Asami said, turning around and practically running to her car.

She started it up and before she could drive up, Korra leapt into the passenger seat of the convertible.

“Going anywhere in particular?” Korra asked.

“I just need to drive. I need to clear my head,” Asami told her.

“Mind if I come with?”

Asami said nothing. She just drove, deliberately keeping her eyes on the road and not the tan beauty next to her. One hand on the wheel, one hand on the gear shift as she moved the car through the dark city streets.

Something about the asphalt and the rubber tires and the engine calmed Asami down. But it didn’t clear her head at all.

She couldn’t think of anything to say, anything to do other continuing to drive.

They drove in silence for what felt like an hour. Korra respected Asami’s silence the entire time.

That was until Asami felt Korra’ warm hand resting on top of her own. Just a gentle little touch. To remind her that she was there for her.

“Korra,” Asami said, for once her mouth was moving ahead of head. “I’m sorry I’m making it so damn complicated.”

“It’s fine. I can use a bit of complication every now and again.”

“I had feelings for you way back when we first met. But you with Mako, and I didn’t want to do anything then. Then we became friends I was just happy to have you as my best friend. You were so awesome and great and stuff that I was afraid to lose that.”

“Spirits. Asami,” Korra said. “You could have said something.”

“It’s not that easy for me Korra. I was so scared of what you’d say when… if I ever told you that I-”

Before she could finish the sentence, finishing telling Korra that she loved her, Asami’s car was t-boned by a car running a red light.

The crash was pure impact, all force and sounds of twisting metal.

Asami found herself on the ground, outside the car. Well outside the car.

Everything hurt. She couldn't move one of her arms without intense pain. Her chest felt wet, as did one of her legs. She felt something cold and hard and foreign pressing into her side.

Her head was swimming in pain, but she managed to open her eyes. Korra was sitting over her, hands slightly glowing as she healed the wounds on Asami’s chest. Of course she was doing absolutely nothing for her own wounds.

“Korra,” she muttered and then proceeded to black out.

She woke up some time later, once again to find Korra standing over her.

“Oh thank Raava, you’re awake,” Korra said. Her face was bruised, and she had little cuts all up and down her arms. One hand was wrapped up in a cast/

“What happened?” Asami asked.

“We got into a pretty bad car accident. I pulled you out and tried to heal you as best as I could before the paramedics could arrive.”

“Thanks.”

“You're going have a bunch of stitches,” Korra said as Asami noticed the large, jagged four inch cut on the left side of her abdomen. “You got a pretty nasty cut on your side.” Then she lifted up her shirt to show a similar cut in the same spot. “You know there’s an old story about those mysterious cuts you find on your hands. Apparently they are injuries your soulmate gets, and your soul feels their pain and mimics it in solidarity.”

“I’m sorry you got hurt because of me,” Asami muttered.

“Well the thing about this cut is that the doctors couldn’t figure out what caused it. It looks like it was caused from the inside out. It is an exact replica of yours though.”

“Korra… I…”

“You should have said something. You know how bad I am at this stuff. I never would have realized. Spirits Asami, apparently we're meant for each other. How long did you think it would have taken me to notice?”

“I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for. Just so long as I can kiss you again,” Korra was looking at her bandage hands. "I really liked that first time and I kind of like to do it again."

"Korra..."

“Oh shut up and make out already,” yelled the nurse from outside the room. “Spirits. Kids these days.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Side note: I know fucking nothing about vehicles or the maintaining there of. I know the serpentine belt is a thing but I have no idea if it is integral to the running of the car or not. Don't blame me and my extreme laziness (google doesn't take that long) for getting it wrong (if it is wrong, but like I said, too lazy to figure it out)  
> Eh, I'm not a big fan of this ending, but I couldn't think of a better one. And I'm super eager to get to this new idea that I have for a very long, extended story of insanity and meta-commentary so I just wanted this one over. Sorry about the abrupt ending.  
> Send prompts and other crap to me @ abronzeagegod.tumblr.com


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